13 replies to this topic

[melody123]

i was wondering do u guys think that once u start using retin a micro u must die using it? well has any1 ever ... my acne wqasnt that bad in the first place but i want to quit retin a micro n i was wondering will i have a major breakout for quitting it? im not sure if it makes skin worst if stopped..
well if any1 has ever been brave enough plz give me some advice,opinions, references,,, anything would b awsome
thnks =)

[anon2]

yep I did. I was only on it two months tho along with my sprio. My skin is way too sensitive for that stuff I hated it! I didnt breakout bad or anything but that may be because I am taking spiro too. My derm also replaced retin a with neo benz and finacea for me.
I don't know if you are going just getting off it all together or replacing it but if you arent replacing it with something else my best advice is to use is less and less gradually to avoid one huge breakout.

[minocyqueen]

I went off the Retin A Micro and it was the worst thing I've ever done for my skin. The Retin A was keeping my bacne mostly clear. I was stupid and didn't keep up with the derm appointments. I figured the acne was gone, no big deal. Mistake! In a few months it came back with a vengeance. I have an appointment next week. I hope she puts me back on it, and doesn't get too angry that I stopped going to see her.

[Seabass]

Do NOT stop using it!! Your acne will come back worse. I am starting Ziana and this time on it plan on sticking it out, and hopefully I can use it for like the rest of my life. I heard it can help wrinkles and the long term benefits of using retinoids are actually good. So I hope this will keep my acne away and keep me younger!!

[Rai]

Okay, ha ha the peoples post on here made going off this sound scary...

Im scared to go off it too, I probably will in a year or so, my dad used it back when he had acne, for about a year, and was also on a oral antibiotic. He went off it and had a bit of a breakout but then 2 months later is skin was fine. Now my dad no longer gets acne...

Probably differnt for everyone, but if you want to get off it I would say give it a try. Or at least talk to your doctor or your derm first and see what kind of input they have.

[AsiaXiah]

Ideally, your doctor didn't intend for you to use the medication until you die... (lol, sorry if that sounds a bit mortifying)...

Most dermatologists use Retin-A as a temporary fighter against acne. They hope that by keeping your acne under control, you'll eventually hit the age when you won't have to deal with acne. It depends on the person; some people hit that age at 20, some people hit that age at 45.

So, don't feel like you're locked into using it until the day you die. You will eventually hit an age (hopefully soon) when your body will just naturally stop having to deal with acne. Unless you care about reversing sun damage, you really wouldn't need (or want to) keep on using the Retin-A, since your skin layers would always be thinner than it should be and be more prone to sunburns and irritation.

If you feel like you are beginning to grow out of acne, (a good hint is to check your shoulders, neck, back, etc. other acne prone areas where you don't put your medicine) start waning of the application.

I.e., start going down to 3 times a week for a few months, and then go down to 2, then 1, and then none. With the gradual change, you'd be able to monitor if w/o the medication, you'd still get acne.

[melody123]

Okay, ha ha the peoples post on here made going off this sound scary...

Im scared to go off it too, I probably will in a year or so, my dad used it back when he had acne, for about a year, and was also on a oral antibiotic. He went off it and had a bit of a breakout but then 2 months later is skin was fine. Now my dad no longer gets acne...

Probably differnt for everyone, but if you want to get off it I would say give it a try. Or at least talk to your doctor or your derm first and see what kind of input they have.

thanks lol i think im just gradually going to quit because it never cleared my skin anyways, like i still get breakout and stuff didnt clear me that much --_--

[melody123]

Ideally, your doctor didn't intend for you to use the medication until you die... (lol, sorry if that sounds a bit mortifying)...

Most dermatologists use Retin-A as a temporary fighter against acne. They hope that by keeping your acne under control, you'll eventually hit the age when you won't have to deal with acne. It depends on the person; some people hit that age at 20, some people hit that age at 45.

So, don't feel like you're locked into using it until the day you die. You will eventually hit an age (hopefully soon) when your body will just naturally stop having to deal with acne. Unless you care about reversing sun damage, you really wouldn't need (or want to) keep on using the Retin-A, since your skin layers would always be thinner than it should be and be more prone to sunburns and irritation.

If you feel like you are beginning to grow out of acne, (a good hint is to check your shoulders, neck, back, etc. other acne prone areas where you don't put your medicine) start waning of the application.

I.e., start going down to 3 times a week for a few months, and then go down to 2, then 1, and then none. With the gradual change, you'd be able to monitor if w/o the medication, you'd still get acne.

Thanks, i am still scared to quit it it never cleared my skin that much anyways. I have a derm appointment on Thursday and I am going to start using Retin a micro every other day starting today, just so i can start using whatever my derm gives me. I was just been thinking lately if may be acne meds prevent people from growing out of acne, like your skin just becomes addicted to it and you must keep using it forever because if you dont you will breakout/ or maybe it prevents you from growing out of acne faster since ur body hasn't had the chance to fight acne on its own its dependent on this meds for longer than if you never had used them in the first place... ?? idk i just want comments on this cuz it worries me.

[minocyqueen]

So I went back to the derm, as I mentioned above, and she put me back on Retin-A Micro, though at a lower dosage. It's been 5 weeks, I think, and I'm still dealing with the initial breakout--for the second time! So moral of the story is, don't quit Retin-A unless your doc tells you to.

Oh, and my insurance doesn't cover it any more, because I'm over the age limit. How depressing is that? To still need an acne medication but to be told that you're too old for coverage. Old and pimply: a winning combination!

[Leajer424]

So I went back to the derm, as I mentioned above, and she put me back on Retin-A Micro, though at a lower dosage. It's been 5 weeks, I think, and I'm still dealing with the initial breakout--for the second time! So moral of the story is, don't quit Retin-A unless your doc tells you to.

Oh, and my insurance doesn't cover it any more, because I'm over the age limit. How depressing is that? To still need an acne medication but to be told that you're too old for coverage. Old and pimply: a winning combination!

Number one, just b/c it's a doctor telling you to do or not to do does not make it the almighty word. Yes, they have education and experience, but derms are humans just like we are, they make mistakes, and they go about their work methodically. The only effective treatment derms have given me is Accutane. All the antibiotics, birth control, and topicals had barely any result. You know your skin best, not your doctor. The best thing you can do for yourself is learn your skin, research treatments, and go to your appointments with that knowledge, giving input into the discussion with your doc. Otherwise he/she will treat you as they did the five other patients whose rooms they just walked out of and put you on the same treatments, in the same order, as everyone else.

Number two, no, if you are over 18, your insurance will not pay for RetinA or Differen WITHOUT a prior authorization. your doc needs to fill one out (basically stating that you need it medically for acne and that you aren't using it for cosmetic-wrinkles,etc. reasons).

Edited by Leajer424, 03 August 2011 - 08:19 PM.

[Reeja]

Number two, no, if you are over 18, your insurance will not pay for RetinA or Differen WITHOUT a prior authorization. your doc needs to fill one out (basically stating that you need it medically for acne and that you aren't using it for cosmetic-wrinkles,etc. reasons).

My health insurance paid for my differin without any note from my doctor (and I was 27 when I got it). Differin was created specifically to treat acne. Perhaps it is different with tretinoin as it is approved for treating both acne and signs of aging.

[Leajer424]

Differin can be used for aging as well...it is in the same class of drugs...retinoids.

Edited by Leajer424, 20 September 2011 - 09:45 PM.

[RedDixieCup]

I've used it off and onf or almost twenty years now. I'm back on it now and I love what it does for my skin outside of just clearing up acne. The texture of my skin, the elasticity and everything is better on it. I'm fine using it until I die.

[Leajer424]

i switched to an over the counter retinol cream...it works just as well for me.